Crashing Ships and Crashing People
Title: '''It Fell From the Sky… Again! '''Players: Elizabeth Maxwell, Heather O'Leary, Angelica, Michaela "Mike" Quinn, Michael Donovan, Kadjem, Patrick Campbell, and Pyotr Zagadka Location: Maxwell Ranch Synopsis: Hmm… what a night. Ships crashing, people going semi-insane… We've got it all! LOG ENDS Elizabeth Maxwell keeps sitting at the table, watching over Heather quietly. Heather O'Leary wakes up from the LONG nap she had in the chair, and calls out, "No! Kadjem! NO!" She shakes her head and looks around. She sees Elizabeth, and forces a smile, "Sorry… Did I cry out any other times?" Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little. "Once or twice maybe. Part of why I want to be with you to watch over you…" she sighs a little. "Have you even been looked over properly since you got back?" Heather O'Leary shakes her head, "I don't think so… Is Doc Parrish around?" Elizabeth Maxwell sighs a little. "She went into town, she talked about staying there. Because of where she was put into the nightmares from the chamber, she figures it best if she's not around, to prevent a relapse." Heather O'Leary chews on her lip, and says softly, "That means Doc Quinn is going to have to look me over? I… I'm not sure I could handle that without hitting her…." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms. "Not sure what other doctors are available…" She checks her pocket and pulls a radio out. "I'll see if anyone else is around to do it." Heather O'Leary nods slightly. She stares at the floor, wishing she could control her temper. Elizabeth Maxwell says, "Anyone medical around, for someone who's in a condition that they don't want to see the eternally grumpy one over?"" Angelica says, "Depends on who's considered eternally grumpy." Elizabeth Maxwell says, "Uh, that would be Quinn, who always is scolding us for doing what we need to be doing." Michaela Quinn mutters, "I assume I am the grumpy one? Tell whomever is temperamental right now, to calm their butts down, or they can deal with me in person." Elizabeth Maxwell says, "Um, Ms Quinn? I'm assuming you've heard something about Heather's condition? With the inside of her head scrambled as it is…" Angelica says, "That's the O'Leary girl, isn't it? I'm the one who's already checked her over, I'll get it." Michaela Quinn says, "Nope. Not a thing. If she is sick, and needs Mental Medical attention, send her to New York, there are great Shrinks there." Elizabeth Maxwell says, "the kind of mental medical attention she needs is extremely specialized, from the kind of mental conditions that arise from being captured for a short time. At least she isn't totally hosed…" Michaela Quinn sniffs audibly, "Whatever… So this Visitor Doctor is going to see 'Colonel' O'Leary? Right? If so, I'll go back to my Soap Opera Reruns. Elizabeth Maxwell says, "Sorry, Doctor. I still like you fine, but the one who got scrambled said to find someone else." Michaela Quinn mutters again, "Next time she gets shot, we'll see about that…." Angelica says, "Go back and relax, and watch your soaps, Doctor. I've got it. My patient anyway." Michaela Quinn mutters something under her breath about 'stupid peo….' The radio makes a click, maybe she turned it off? Elizabeth Maxwell sighs a little at the radio. "Well, Quinn is in a lovely mood tonight. And… evidently there is another doctor who can see you. I'll stay with you, though, to make sure there aren't problems…" She pauses a little, biting her lip. Heather O'Leary nods slightly, but makes no sound. She is staring at the floor, while her hands shake a little, "I… Haven't eaten in awhile… Over 48 hours… Other than that bite of Apple… Is there… anything to eat?" Her voice comes slow, as images bounce in her head… Images that would make it hard to eat, and that she can not control. Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little, digging into the fridge, and offering a roast beef sandwich with mayo and ketchup. "Here…" Heather O'Leary pales a little as food actually is there, but she takes the sandwich, and nibbles the bread, something to hit her stomach before the heavy sitting beef and mayo and ketchup. Elizabeth Maxwell strokes Heather gently. "It'll be all right… you need to eat…." she bites her lip a little. "Um… Heather? How much do you remember after you jumped from the ship?" Heather O'Leary arches an eyebrow, still nibbling, "Um… Something about a Squad Ship… Kadjem's voice… A Crash? And… I uh… I think I broke Julie's Breastbone…?" Elizabeth Maxwell bites her lip a little. "Uh, yeah you did. But she didn't want you to really know. The Squad Ship was a group coming in from Miami. Their doctor is the one who's around to look at you…" Heather O'Leary takes a real bite of the sandwich, and than stares at the floor, "If you see her… tell her I am sorry." Heather is now afraid she'll not be able to look at the Doc for two reasons, fear and guilt. Elizabeth Maxwell umms… "Then you know who their doctor is?" Angelica arrives from Dining Room. Heather O'Leary shakes her head, "I… I don't remember… Just snippets really… Was she a kind of tall Red Head?" Angelica walks in, with her backpack and other stuff, heading for the kitchen table and Heather. She ruffles the Heather's hair gently, and nods a little at the comment, smiling. Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little and nods. "that's all you remember about her?" Heather O'Leary nods slightly, and than looks at Angel, "Her… right?" Elizabeth Maxwell makes a very soft uh-oh, and wraps her arm around Heather tightly. Angelica smiles and nods at Heather, then gives Elizabeth an exasperated eye roll for the 'uh-oh', shaking her head and digging into her pack for medical equipment. "Good to see that you're up and around, Miss O'Leary. Definitely a good sign after yesterday…" Heather O'Leary's eyes widen, and the sandwich drops from her fingers, "You are a goddammed VISITOR?" She looks at Elizabeth, and says softly, "I trusted you were not in my head… I BELIEVED you…." Elizabeth Maxwell sighs, and holds tightly. "I'm not. Would you think the same thing if Willie from the club walked through? The club EXPLODED, so he's here as well. And you already /know/ him." ATTRIBUTE CHECK: NAME: Heather O'Leary ATTRIBUTE: Willpower (Hard) FAILED Heather O'Leary shudders, and doesn't believe Elizabeth, she tries to force herself to her feet, but Elizabeth is holding her too tightly, "Maybe… I saw him do things…." (Inside Heather's head) Elizabeth Maxwell invades your head once again. "Yes, I saw. All last night, And tried to keep you comfortable. While you woke up on the floor…" (Inside Heather's head) Elizabeth Maxwell follows up. "And don't forget, you were the one who asked that Quinn not do it." Heather O'Leary shakes her head, and says, "You are *not* Elizabeth… You are Diana. GO AWAY!" Angelica glowers downward at Heather, her own form shaking. Her voice even shakes, when she speaks now. "You want to think this is all a fucking conversion?" She yanks for Heather's collar. "Go tell it to Bobby Stanton and Peter Larson! They're DEAD right now, because we got overtaken picking you up! People I knew, good friends of mine. People I've known since I left the fucking Sirian military. Bobby Stanton died because I had him fly so I could watch you! Do you remember that?!" Heather O'Leary laughs in Angel's face, "Like the death of people in my head bothers me? So what, Diana changed from rape and pain to guilt? Big fucking deal!" She brings her knee up, aiming for the Visitors stomach, "Touch me again, and YOU Die!" COMBAT: Heather O'Leary attacks Angelica with Martial Arts Knee Kick and hits! DAMAGE: 8 Elizabeth Maxwell jumps clean out of her chair at that, bracing for anything that she might have to do. "Angel… please." The sound of ANOTHER Visitor craft striking the ground can be heard. What the hell was that? Angelica doesn't flinch away from being hit in the stomach, even if it makes her cringe. She glances over to Elizabeth though. "Have you happened to call New York to ask about the descrambling procedure? She's going to think she's in the conversion chamber until all of it can be undone…" Heather O'Leary drops Angelica, as she hears the explosion. She doesn't even think. She runs for the Front Yard. Reaction is normal, isn't it? Michael Donovan says, "If there's anyone else listening, it sounds like it's raining reptiles. I'm going to check it out, but I could use a little back-up…" Elizabeth Maxwell jumps. "What the hell was that…" She hears the radio. "coming…" Elizabeth Maxwell hurries out. Heather O'Leary moves to the Dining Room . You go to Dining Room. Heather O'Leary moves to the Foyer . You go to Foyer. You go to Maxwell Ranch Front Yard. Kadjem crashes his damaged Skyfighter into the ground near the Ranch's yard. Someone betrayed him, and sabotaged his Skyfighter. Heather O'Leary stops on a dime as she sees the Skyfighter burning. Her face becomes a mask, and she moves toward it, steady, calmly, ready to do what needs to be done, in case it is a Human… Michael Donovan has already gotten a little bit of a head-start, having been outside when it landed, although he should be easy enough to catch up to. Elizabeth Maxwell says, "Mike? Heather's scrambled up and thinking she's in the chamber again. We might have to knock her out until we get a way to undo it." Elizabeth Maxwell hurries out to follow Heather, any combination of worried and mad. Kadjem climbs through the broken windshield, his helmet on, which will allow him to breathe for a whole 15 minutes. After that, the Dust gets to go to work on him. "Help me!" he calls out to the people he sees. He can't really focus on them, "I have to get below the Dust line in the next 15 minutes…" Angelica arrives from Foyer. Angelica hurries out behind the others, running /fast/ trying to catch up. Heather O'Leary hears a voice… it is the voice in her dream. She bursts into a sprint, and attempts to kill the Visitor. It is not a voice she ever wants to hear again! COMBAT: Heather O'Leary attacks Kadjem with Martial Arts Tackle and hits! DAMAGE: 9 Michael Donovan watches in surprise as Heather leaps past him and onto the Visitor. He looks from the two of them back to Elizabeth and Angela, not sure how to react just yet. Kadjem is tackled to the ground, before he can even fully get to his feet, "I asked…. Holy Shit! O'Leary." He fights to reach the transmitter on his radio, "O'Leary… fou", but his radio isn't working anymore, and he can tell. Angelica growls loudly as she hears that voice, running fast for it. "Dammit. That's the guy from last night! He killed everyone else on the Miami shuttle…" She runs hard for the guy, intending to bludgeon him. Heather O'Leary attempts to rip the helmet right off Kadjem. Let the Dust get him. Fitting Punishment for what he has done to her! +ROLL: Heather O'Leary-Agility against Kadjem-Agility WINNER: Kadjem Elizabeth Maxwell sighs as Heather stands there right over him. "I can't get a shot in with her right in the way…" She starts walking closer. Michael Donovan's gun has found its way into his hand, though he quickly finds himself in the same quandary as Elizabeth, what with Heather trying to tear the Visitor apart by hand. He circles around slowly, looking for an opening. Kadjem is able to moves his head, so that O'Leary is unable to get a hold of his helmet. He does try to spit in her face, since his mouth is not covered. COMBAT: Kadjem attacks Heather O'Leary with a Visitor Venom Spit and Misses! Heather O'Leary's shirt is hit by the venom, lucky for her. She slams her fist down into the face of Kadjem, maybe make him bite his tongue off or something. COMBAT: Heather O'Leary attacks Kadjem with Martial Arts Punch and hits! DAMAGE: 12 Angelica moves around to the side of Heather, finally getting up into a position to not hit Heather, and swings a foot for the head of Kadjem. "You… Fucking sonofabitch! Remember me from last night! The dust ain't gonna get you before I tear you in half for killing 7 of my friends!" COMBAT: Angelica attacks Kadjem with a Brawling Kick and Misses! Elizabeth Maxwell sighs at that, and moves around, poking her weapon down towards Kad from another angle, away from Heather and Angel. "Much better…" She smiles sweetly, and pulls the trigger on her laser weapon. COMBAT: Elizabeth Maxwell attacks Kadjem with a Visitor Laser Sidearm and Misses! Michael Donovan likewise finds a 'safe' angle, unfortunately one that would end up hitting something like a leg or kneecap instead of anything vital. When he's sure he won't hit Heather or Angelica in the process he squeezes off a shot. COMBAT: Michael Donovan attacks Kadjem with a Colt M1911A1 Pistol and Misses! Kadjem does, in fact, bite his tongue, and damn, that hurt. While his head moves, writhing in pain, he moves it just enough that Angelica's kick can not connect. "Your friends died? Too bad, traitor!" He is able to avoid the Laser, not sure how, maybe something nudged Elizabeth's hand or something. He is thrashing about. The same must be true of Donovan's shot. Luck, while starting against him, might be turning his way. He tries to shove his own hand into Heather's belly, "You should not be attacking me. Diana said you were converted! You should be helping me!" COMBAT: Kadjem attacks Heather O'Leary with Brawling Punch and hits! DAMAGE: 7 Heather O'Leary is thrown off Kadjem, her body folding over his fist, and falling to the side, clutching herself, "I… Am… Not… Con…Vert….ed." She gasps at him, and tries to kick at him, while gasping for breath, and to get back up off the ground COMBAT: Heather O'Leary attacks Kadjem with a Martial Arts Kick and Misses! Angelica leans way over Kadjem at that comment, trying to glare up under his helmet. "enough shit coming out of you that I'm wondering if I have the ass instead of the head. Now shut it, whichever it is!" She spits down at the other visitor, aiming 'back' towards her lower body by hovering over, to make certain it doesn't go near Heather. COMBAT: Angelica attacks Kadjem with Visitor Venom Spit and hits! DAMAGE: 17 Elizabeth Maxwell glowers a little at the comments, hurrying back over to Heather's side as she's folded over to the side, stroking her hair, and trying to kick the creep. COMBAT: Elizabeth Maxwell attacks Kadjem with Martial Arts Kick and hits! DAMAGE: 13 Michael Donovan smiles faintly to himself as Heather is thrown clear, only giving him Angelica to have to aim around. Once again taking careful aim so as not to give her a crash course in the concept of 'friendly fire' being a contradiction in terms, he shoots at the Visitor that everyone seems to have a grudge against. COMBAT: Michael Donovan attacks Kadjem with Colt M1911A1 Pistol and hits! DAMAGE: 14 COMBAT: Michael Donovan has knocked Kadjem unconscious! Kadjem smiles in satisfaction as the punch connects with Heather, but then, the traitor bitch spits at him. That smarts, really bad, and so does the Kick from Elizabeth. These bitches are causing him pain, lots of pain! He tries to roll to his feet, just as he is shot, and at the same time, draw his laser. He gets it free, and drops from the combined wounds he has. Heather O'Leary reaches for the Laser that was in Kadjem's hand. She picks it up, and puts it right against his head, "One… too… many times… You have escaped…." She fires the sidearm, and Kadjem's head explodes in green blood, and there is the smell of burning Lizard Flesh. She drops the gun, having used her right hand, without thinking about it. She realized as soon as she saw it, that it wouldn't be in a Dream, or a Conversion Chamber session. She knew this had to be real. If she could pick it up, and kill the Lizard Captain, it was real… Angelica makes a face, pulling a little bottle of light clearish green liquid out of one pocket. She glances at the splatter and shivers. "Ew." Then she pours whatever the liquid is into her mouth, and starts swishing it around. Elizabeth Maxwell glances over towards Heather, and smiles a little bit. "Well, now that we all need showers, are you feeling better?" Heather O'Leary shakes her head slightly, "Trouble.. Catching breath…" She shrugs, "I'll be OK… in a minute." She looks at Angelica, and says, very softly, "I am sorry… for what I said… and that I hit you…" Michael Donovan grimaces slightly at the carnage left in their wake. "I think I'll have to draft a few people to form a clean-up detail for this thing. Two crash-landings in as many days. Hope this isn't the start of a trend…" Angelica shakes her head a little, turning around and spitting the liquid out, then moving back to stroke Heather's hair. "It's all right…" Angelica's breath now smells, well, minty fresh, too. :p Heather O'Leary glances over at Mike, and smiles, "I haven't crashed…." She smirks than, "At least, not in a Skyfighter… I think I am… In the middle of a… crash…." She slumps to the ground, adrenaline gone. Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little. "She still needs to get medical attention…" She looks down at Heather, settling herself onto the ground, and pulling Heather's head into her lap. "Oh honey…" Heather O'Leary looks up at Elizabeth, and blushes, "Hey there… Missed you… Missed myself…" Elizabeth Maxwell leans her head down and kisses Heather on the lips. "Missed you too, honey…" She strokes Heather's hair. "I was trying to tell you when Angel walked in. She's the doctor from Miami." Patrick Campbell stands on the porch, arms folded Heather O'Leary nods, and looks at Angel, "Thank you for saving me… I wish I could do something different though… Like gotten to the Escape Ramp 5 minutes later…" Angelica smiles and pets Heather's arm. "It's all right. Now… mind if I look you over, after we all go back inside? Your condition wasn't very good when I found you…" The sound of a Mothership can be heard overhead. Patrick Campbell looks upwards… "Uhm, anyone expecting company?" Heather O'Leary says softly, "My head is buzzing…." She doesn't realize it is the sound of a Mothership. Angelica flinches at the sound. "Holy shit…" she glances upwards. Michael Donovan looks up at the heavens again, hoping quietly that this isn't yet another crash landing or else things could get quite messy. "You can say that again," he replies to Angelica. The sound of a Mothership fades, heading back south, the way it came. Elizabeth Maxwell looks up and watches it leaving. "Close call." she makes shooing motions at the ship moving off. "g'way." Patrick Campbell moves his hand instinctively to his side arm, his left hand touching the butt of the gun. His eyes dart around the small gathering then at the ship. He sighs in relief and moves his hand away from the side arm "Alright, I think they're searching." He states lightly, his eyes looking towards Elizabeth. Heather O'Leary looks at Patrick, and says softly, "They are looking for me…" Angelica glances back at the corpse. "They usually wouldn't move a mothership out for that. Heck, I don't know what about this warranted it. The guy was only a Captain, so I doubt they'd care about him that much…" Heather O'Leary says softly, "He is one of Diana's closer aides… maybe he got a message out about me? And himself?" She sighs softly, "It was odd…." Heather O'Leary forces herself to stand up, "You wanted to take a look at me… wounds?" She asks Angel. Patrick Campbell hmms "I think more we got there attention" He states lightly "With the club explosion, the remains of a top leader found in the explosions, the killings and crash landing of one of there ships" He sighs and side glances at Heather "That in itself warrants a search.. and annihilation of the resistance" Angelica hmms, and glances down at him, making a face. "Well, whatever it was, they left. If they'd come close enough and saw us, they'd be sending a swarm of fighters down to attack already…" She nods at Heather. "Yeah." Heather O'Leary shrugs slightly, "I heard from Kadjem, telling Diana, that the Club blew up, and that everyone is believed dead. They don't know we are out here, Patrick…." She moves very slowly towards the house. Limping and holding her stomach. Angelica frowns at that, moving to offer to help Heather get in. "Maybe this should be done at your own bed…" She considers. Heather O'Leary shakes her head, "Couch… Living Room is where the Docs normally work…" She shrugs slightly, "Besides, I don't want to not be around people… If I am, I might slip back into what happened before… that could be dangerous." Angelica nods a little bit. "all right. My main concern was about anything that might need checking, that you wouldn't want someone else to be looking at while I worked." She glances back to Elizabeth. "You can guard the living room while I do this, yes? Since you've evidently seen it all before?" Elizabeth Maxwell flushes slightly at that. Patrick Campbell nods towards Heather "Perhaps. But I doubt they think the entire resistance was destroyed. We got there attention that is for sure" Heather O'Leary sighs, "Patrick, they do not know where we are… we've been careful. I think it was Kadjem's crashing." She slips into the House, because she needs to be looked at by the Doc, and the Doc is making her go in to be looked at. She was all comfy on the ground. Soft Grass. Heather O'Leary moves to the Foyer . Angelica moves to the Foyer . You go to Foyer. Angelica moves to the Living Room . You go to Living Room. Angelica smiles, slipping in after fetching her bag from the kitchen. "Now to check you over…" Heather O'Leary nods slightly, and slips her shirt and shorts off. Yup, back to being naked. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles over at Heather as she strips down, closing the living room doors and locking them, then moving for the shades. She stops to stroke Heather's thigh gently along her way. Heather O'Leary glances at Liz, and than shakes her head, "How you can find the head to toe bruise, that is my body, worth stroking…." She smiles fondly at the Starchild. Elizabeth Maxwell draws the drapes and slips over to rub Heather's shoulders. "Because I love you and worry about you, that's why." Angelica smiles at the play between the two, digging a couple things from her pack, and moving over to start checking Heather over, starting with the most visible thing, looking for where the venom marks were. Heather O'Leary has no real wounds. Minor scrapes and abrasions. Mostly, she is bruised from falling on the beach hard, being thrown from an exploding Squad Ship, and getting her intestines rearranged from the outer tummy hit from Kadjem. Yup, blunt injuries all. Maybe internal bleeding, but she'd already be in major trouble if that was the case. Just a lot of Blunt Force trauma. Oh yeah, and the venom above her breasts. That too. Angelica winces a little at the bruises. "Are you allergic to anything in particular that I should know about?" Heather O'Leary says softly, "Allergic to Morphine…." Angelica nods a little bit. "Okay then. Definitely good to know, with all the bruising you have, you'll be needing a painkiller I'm guessing…" She starts gently checking over the venom mark and bruises, digging in her pack. Heather O'Leary shrugs, "I don't feel much pain… might still have enough adrenaline running through my system though… Angelica nods a little bit, pulling a scanner out. "Yes, you might. Considering what all happened tonight…" Heather O'Leary closes her eyes and blushes, remembering she tried to kick the crap out of Angelica. Elizabeth Maxwell strokes Heather's hair gently, and kisses her forehead. "I'm sorry about earlier honey… I was going to try and tell you before she came in, but I wasn't exactly sure how you'd react…" She glances over to Angel and rolls her eyes. "Then she walked in before I could. I was so worried…" She kisses your forehead again. "I was afraid that if something didn't change, that we'd have to sedate you until talking to New York about reversing the process." Heather O'Leary says softly, "I can not promise that the next time I sleep, that I won't wake up in just as bad of shape… maybe you should take me to New York, and watch them… than watch them do the same to Sean…." Angelica offers Heather a gentle hug. "I'm sorry if I startled you. I'm also sorry for grabbing your collar. I've been a little on edge, since the crash last night." Heather O'Leary nods slightly to Angel, "I understand… I wasn't helping." She looks at Liz, and smiles, thinking o O (She's a little touchy-feely for a Visitor, isn't she?) maybe Liz reads it, maybe she doesn't. Angelica smiles a little bit. "It's all right…" She hmms a little bit, and starts digging in her bag. "I should be able to give you something to bring down that adrenaline level, so it doesn't cause another problem. And I know I have something other than morphine, for the pain. Still, you should try to stay off your feet… you should be resting and recovering…" Elizabeth Maxwell glances back towards Heather and shrugs a little bit, raising her eyebrows, and thinking back. o (I'm guessing it's more sympathy than anything else. At least she's not being a bitch like Quinn usually is.) Heather O'Leary chuckles softly, not at the Doc, but that might not be easy to tell. She than mentions, "Resting and Recovery? What is that?" Angelica smiles a little at Heather. "It's what people do when they're hurt enough to be completely endangering themselves if they go on a mission, and potentially endangering whoever has to protect them if they start having a problem in the field." Heather O'Leary says softly, "Around here, we sorta… Ignore that, when a mission *has* to be done…" Angelica sighs a little bit and nods. "And I understand that, believe it or not. And if it were only physical, I'd agree." MEDICAL: Angelica attempts to heal Heather O'Leary and is able to heal them a little. Elizabeth Maxwell strokes Heather's hair gently and kisses her on the head again. Heather O'Leary shrugs, "I make no promises, but I will try to rest for a few days…. OK?" Angelica smiles a little bit at Heather, putting in the painkiller, and something to take down the swelling. "Physically, your injuries are mostly bruises and such. As soon as you weren't stiff, you'd probably be fine. I'm more concerned about your mental state at the moment, but I'm also fairly certain that Elizabeth can handle that better than I could, as your girlfriend. If you started thinking you're in the chamber again, during a major mess…" Heather O'Leary shudders slightly, "I… I don't know… That would be bad." Heather O'Leary says softly, "Little chilly… can I get dressed?" Angelica nods a little bit, handing your clothes back. "Yes." Heather O'Leary slips into the shorts and t-shirt easily, and shrugs, "Not much good, but better than nothing, and Elizabeth can unlock the doors and open the window again…." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles, and unlocks the doors, opening the drapes Heather O'Leary asks Angelica, "Can I rest outside? It is a nice night, even if there is a crashed Skyfighter out there…." Angelica smiles a little and nods. "Certainly. It is a nice night…" Heather O'Leary stands up from the couch, and moves slowly towards the door, than stops, "Did I have a sandwich somewhere? I remember getting ready to eat something…" From Maxwell Ranch Front Yard - The Ranch, Pyotr Zagadka is standing by the barn, under the outstretched roof, smoking one of his Russian cigarettes He has been very good about the smoking bit.. One a day… Though after yesterday he looks as if he could use two. Elizabeth Maxwell bites her lip a little. "I'll fix you another one, I think that one might have gotten dropped on the floor, when you decided that Angel showing up meant you were still in a hallucination." Heather O'Leary sighs softly and nods. She slips out the door, towards the deck. Heather O'Leary moves to the Foyer . From Maxwell Ranch Front Yard - The Ranch, Heather O'Leary arrives from Foyer. You go to Maxwell Ranch Front Yard. Heather O'Leary nods slightly, and lights the cigarette. She knows Lizzie will be disappointed, but after the last few days…. She inhales some smoke, arching an eyebrow, "Not bad… Almost as bad as Lucky Strikes, and worse than Camel No-Filters…" Elizabeth Maxwell slips out from the foyer, holding a sandwich in a bag, and a glass of cocoa, looking for Heather. Heather O'Leary is standing next to Pyotr, smoking a Russian Cigarette. Yes, she is being bad. Elizabeth Maxwell walks over with the food. "Want to wait till you're done smoking, for this?" Pyotr Zagadka laughs at this. "Lucky Strikes is how my old cell signaled others." he tells her. "If you carry then you were resistance. In Germany it was amerikcan penny given to other with greeting "Merry Christmas." he chuckles. "And how are you, Miss Heather… Oh.. Hello Miss Elizabeth." Heather O'Leary looks at Liz, blushes, and than nods, looking at the ground. Aside to Pyotr, she says, "I am a little better… I guess." Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little, and slips back to wait. Pyotr Zagadka smirks and claps Heather's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Well, take time, da?" he asks. "And you should eat too.. Right, Miss Heather?" Heather O'Leary nods slightly, "I should also, probably, not be smoking this." She looks over to Liz, a little guilty, "I am trying to quit completely." She shrugs again, and than looks at Pyotr, "I promised her I would." She shrugs, and her right hand brings the cigarette to her lips again. When she sees that she closes her eyes, brings the cigarette down, and places it in her left hand, which she brings back, hand shaking. She takes a long drag and tries to force herself to relax. Pyotr Zagadka finishes his own cigarette, since he started it before Heather came out, and dunks it in his half-filled-with-water soda can. "I should quit, as well." the Russian says.. readjusting his rimless bifocals. "I quit one time. Many year ago. But started again when visitors came back. No one left for me to keep promise to anymore." Heather O'Leary nods slightly, "Sometimes, you have to keep promises, even if whom you promised is dead…." Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "I know." he says and offers the can for her to use to ash the smoke when she is done. "But I have too long list of promises to keep first." he says. Elizabeth Maxwell watches Heather quietly, setting the food down on a table, and stroking her hair gently. Heather O'Leary nods, "I know…." She accepts the can, and smokes the cigarette slowly, enjoying the lightheadedness the nicotine gives, but also, it is a guilty pleasure, and right now, she feels pretty guilty. Pyotr Zagadka looks out at the pasture, squinting in the direction of the crash. He fidgets a bit with pent up energy. Sorta cure in a way.. or annoying. Heather O'Leary smiles at Liz a bit, and says softly, "I know, I shouldn't be smoking… I'm sorry…" She soon finishes the cigarette, and drops it in the can. She sets the can down where Pyotr is sure to be able to find it. Elizabeth Maxwell strokes Heather's hair gently, and shakes her head. "It's all right…" She slips back over to get the food, offering it to Heather then. "Here…" Pyotr Zagadka looks back to Heather and nods in agreement with Elizabeth. "Da.. Eat. You need energy." he says. "I seen this before. You need to keep body full of energy. Helps fight conditioning." Heather O'Leary takes the sandwich, and moves to sit on the edge of the deck. She takes a bite of the sandwich, not really tasting it at the moment. Elizabeth Maxwell rubs Heather's stomach gently. "And this time, no bad surprises to interrupt your meal." Heather O'Leary smirks, "Sure… next thing we know, Diana will drop out of the sky…" Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "We can only hope she won't be wearing a parachute like you, Miss Heather." Heather O'Leary nods slightly, and looks a little green. "Not agreeing with me…." She jumps to her feet, dropping the sandwich, "Not your fault Liz…" she calls as she rushes for the bathroom… Pyotr Zagadka sigh and leans back against the bar. "Poor Heather.." Elizabeth Maxwell winces a little bit, then nods. "Yeah… I'm really worried about her. She had a near-relapse earlier…" Pyotr Zagadka closes his eyes. "Those are bad. My friend, Heleana…." he shudders at her name. "She had relapse. Tried to kill her daughter." Elizabeth Maxwell winces a little bit. "Well, Heather didn't do anything that bad… It got triggered because she asked that Quinn not look at her. She thought she might take a swing at Quinn, for the woman's general attitude. But when Angelica showed up instead…" Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhs. "I see… At least I think I see." he says. "I am still in state of confusion. Last few days very hectic…" Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little bit. "Yeah. The minute Angel said something, Heather freaked. Until the shuttle crashed in the yard. That actually fixed it. Knew damned well that if she were in the chamber, she wouldn't be allowed to blow the consulate commander's head clean off." She shrugs a little. "Just a bad situation, because of what Angel is." Pyotr Zagadka looks a bit guilty now. "I hope I not offend her, yesterday, at first meeting." the Russian says softly. "I just…. there are no Visitors in most European Resistance Cells." Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little and shrugs. "It's not common here either. Happens sometimes, mostly odd circumstances." Pyotr Zagadka says, "She is real doctor?" Elizabeth Maxwell shrugs. "that's what the Miami people are saying. Hasn't been exactly working on humans very long, but evidently she's been working on figuring it out ever since she was forced to desert." Pyotr Zagadka says, "Well, it is change to have Visitor working on human with sharp object for reason to save life.. not make next meal." he points out." Elizabeth Maxwell winces a little and nods. "Yeah, it is. Still, they vouched for her. Good luck as well. Because Julie figures heavily into what was done to Heather, she's gone into town for a couple weeks, to avoid giving her a stress relapse." Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "Again, I do not get to meet Miss Julie personally." he says. "A shame. But for good reason. I need to talk to someone, soon, about what I can do contribute to group. You have doctors of medicine and chemicals.. Specialized personnel…." Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little bit. "Some things require specialized personnel. A lot of other things don't. Donovan certainly has gotten by for having been a TV reporter… that's not exactly a useful trade for what we do either." Pyotr Zagadka smirks. "It could be." he says. "Pirate TV /is/ possible." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs and shakes her head. "He's not doing it, though. Only thing useful about it is him being good with people. Probably had to manage the camera crew, for his job." Pyotr Zagadka laughs. "Can be hard, I would guess… And what about you, Miss Elizabeth…. What do you do." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles and shrugs. "Anything and everything, depending what I need to be doing. I shoot at various enemy troopers, I've been trained on flying the fighters, and otherwise work on trying to strip apart any enemy tech that might be rebuilt into something useful for us." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhs at that last part. "I am WERY good at that." he says. "Visitor technology has lot of applications I have found." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles sweetly. "I've also been the one that winds up translating everything, 'cept that with recent developments, there are two others to do that." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhs. "Well.. three now." he says, smiling proudly. "I had to learn Visitor Language to learn to program their computers." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms and nods a little bit. "I'm surprised they willingly taught anyone their language, even when they were trying to be most covert in their intentions…. Or you mean later?" Pyotr Zagadka ahems. "Oh no. I.. uhm… There is American saying. Plead the fifth?" he asks, meekly. "Even when I trust Visitors first time round I… took tours of database." he blushes. "Old habits die hard, da? math is math.. Computer's are math. All I needed was to decode math into non-mathematical abstracts." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs just a little bit and nods. "Ah." she grins a little bit. " I'm surprised if no one mentioned accuracy issues, though, considering that…" Pyotr Zagadka nods. "Da, my grandfather." he admits. "But he was able to fix most of what I couldn't figure out. Never figured out how. Said he had sources. Never told me who or what, though." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms and shrugs a little bit. "Interesting…." She hmms slightly. "Won't even speculate on that…" She hmms, and glances around just a little. Then, out of the blue, she spins around the other way, and tries to keep her mouth and nose shielded, as she sneezes. Pyotr Zagadka blinks at that. "Hay fever?" Elizabeth Maxwell shakes her head a little bit. "No… Might have gotten something back up the wrong way when I grabbed a snack. Happens sometimes." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhs and nods. "I see. Happens. Once inhaled pepper from blackened fish." he shrugs. "So, Miss Elizabeth.. Is there any visitor technology around.. or a lab or workshop, where I can be of assistance." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little bit. "There's a lab in the basement… Mostly where I'm stripping down some of the stuff we got on our last major action." Pyotr Zagadka nods "What about pieces from shuttles?" he asks. "Surely there is SOMETHING to salvage." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little bit and raises her eyebrows. "You happen to hear what our last major action was, by chance? We have plenty of fighters, and plenty of equipment that's much more intact." Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "Da, true." he says. "But from ships we salvage spare parts. And maybe other equipment we can convert to portable use as back ups. Or just to experiment with to create something new." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little bit. "I made sure we brought spare parts back, when we snagged the big ship. We're not quite that careless. And we could still probably go get more stuff from it, in theory." Pyotr Zagadka ohs. "I seem to have come too late, then." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little and shakes her head. "Well, not really. You got on at a good time. You get in on the benefits of what went on, without having to have the long trip with the wrong travel agent." Pyotr Zagadka snorts at that. "Perhaps. Maybe I can find some other way to contribute. You have computers?" Elizabeth Maxwell laughs and nods. "Computers of all kinds. Standard ones in the living room and the main bedroom, less standard ones downstairs. Pyotr Zagadka raises an eyebrow. "Explain 'less standard'. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little. "the ones in the lab, stripped off the bagged mothership mostly." Pyotr Zagadka oooohs, all of a sudden his eyes sparkling. "EXCELENT!" he cries. He looks happy all of a sudden. "Something I know, finally. Those would be most great to see, comrade Elizabeth. I have my interface to mate visitor computer with ours. Not finished, though. Want to get it working. Haven't had access to visitor computer for long time so I have no physical model to work from." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little and raises her eyebrows. "Actually, I've been working on one of those, its nearly done…" She smiles a little. "teaching one to speak the other's language isn't easy though. So right now I've been keeping the full dump from their computer on one of their own terminals, to read it." Pyotr Zagadka nods. "Good idea.. I did that as well." he says. "Maybe with my design and yours we can finish it quicker? Two minds and all?" Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little. "I've actually gotten it to work with pieces like the printer and such already, in fact…" Elizabeth Maxwell raises her eyebrows. "Wanna see the lab?" Pyotr Zagadka ois and rubs his forehead. "Beaten again!" he says.. though while he is saddened, he still smiles. "I would love to, Comrade, Elizabeth." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles, offering a hand. "Come along. It's right downstairs…" Pyotr Zagadka takes her hand and sighs. "Lead the way." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles, leading into the foyer. Elizabeth Maxwell smiles, switching on the light to the basement. "Always down in the deep dark cave, for the mad science…" She laughs a little. Pyotr Zagadka chuckles. "You must watch james Bond movies." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles, walking over to door on the north, tapping in a long code on the keypad next to the door. "Lots of dangerous stuff in here, so I keep the place locked down." Pyotr Zagadka da, good precaution. The light on the pad turns green after about 20 keystrokes, and the door unlocks. Elizabeth Maxwell opens the door up, moving in and holding it open for her companion. "Come right in…" You go to Makeshift Lab. Pyotr Zagadka arrives from Main Area. Pyotr Zagadka ooohs very very lowly as he enters the most amazing of domains. The Russian scientist is frozen in awe… his mouth hanging open wide." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little at Pyotr. "Welcome to the most dangerous place in the ranch. Well… other than where the fuse box is wired up. I'll show you that after. Wired a skyfighter engine into the electrical system, to keep us off the power grid…" Pyotr Zagadka nods slowly, still taking everything in. "I think.. I think I die and go to HEAVEN!" he says. "This.. this is like our Siberian base before it was destroyed in air raid." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little bit and hmms. "Really? you have one of those,. too?" she gestures towards the back closet. "I have high hopes for that thing…" Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "Only had one engine." he admits. "When I first escaped visitor years ago I took a shuttle with me.. I kept it hidden after visitors left. When they came back I went to get it and found it damaged by cave in in cave I hid shuttle in.. So we salvaged the engine for base power." Elizabeth Maxwell winces a little and nods. "Sorry to hear that…" She walks over to the console near the closet, glancing at the sign on it. "Too bad that the thing I have such high hopes for is also the most potentially dangerous thing in the place…" Pyotr Zagadka raises a brow as he follows Elizabeth through the wonderland. "And that be?" he asks. Elizabeth Maxwell taps the console and points into the closet, and the chamber within. "don't recognize the thing? It's the conversion chamber from the mothership we captured. That's why it's locked down so tight. There's a way to undo the conversion process with it, once I get the instructions how from up in New York…" Pyotr Zagadka blinks and turns around… and looks at the thing he was unconsciously avoiding. "Why would you use such a horrid thing?" he asks. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs. "There's a way to undo the conversion process. But it involves running the chamber in a reverse setting. Which means we need it, to undo them." Pyotr Zagadka hmmmmmms and circles the chamber. "Well.. You know how to run it the right way, da?" Elizabeth Maxwell gestures over to the computer in the corner. "The instructions were on that. The copy I printed out is all in Sirian, though, and I keep the computer locked up as well, for it. Because if anything, having it here makes me more nervous than it makes you." Elizabeth Maxwell glances down the bench with some of the devices on it, wincing slightly at some of the dried orangish marks on it. Pyotr Zagadka looks at the computer longingly "Why does it make nervous, comrade?" he asks. Elizabeth Maxwell sighs. "The suggestion has come up once or twice to be as bad as the enemy. Mostly things said in anger. About taking a captured visitor, and running it through their own machine. And I don't intend to let someone try to go through with it. I will not be- act like one of them." she picks up something from the counter, idly, looking it over in her hands. Pyotr Zagadka sighs and walks over to Elizabeth. "It is a very good choice, Miss Elizabeth." he says, patting her shoulder kindly. "Very good. So, you said the instructions were in Sirian. If you can read it, why send to New York for instructions?" Elizabeth Maxwell sighs. "the instructions say how to run it forwards, not backwards. There's a specific procedure to running it backwards, separately." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhhhs. "Strange that they would store the instructions in two different systems." he says. "You have data mined the system for hidden folders and embedded code, da? Or maybe they tried deleting those instructions and you can data recover them?" Elizabeth Maxwell sighs, rolling the thing she picked up in her hands, then putting it back down, staring at the computer, instead of where she's setting it. And… manages to scrape a finger on something, for not knowing exactly. "Ow.." She shakes her head then. "The other process isn't on the computer. A group from the Fifth Column up with the New York resistance figured it out later. The ones who built it never saw any need for a way to deconvert someone." Pyotr Zagadka ahhs, understanding now. "I see. Well, that is visitors mind set, da." he admits. "Are you okay? What was that?" Elizabeth Maxwell shakes her head a little. "Just me not watching what I was doing, sorry. scraped a finger a little…" She checks it, and mutters softly, snatching a tissue from a box. "Not like its never happened before…" She holds the finger up to the light, and wipes murky, translucent orange fluid away from the finger. "damn…" Pyotr Zagadka looks at the finger and is about to say something.. when he gasps and takes a step back. "NYET!" he says loudly. Looking scared all of a sudden. Elizabeth Maxwell keeps holding the tissue on the finger, grumbling. "Sorry… was a lot worse than this when one of my relatives on my mother's side decided to go insane, and shot me once." Pyotr Zagadka looks in awe and still a bit of fear. "You… you aren't human?" he asks. Hey, not EVERYONE knows about the starchild, right? Big planet. Elizabeth Maxwell rolls her eyes a little bit. "Hm… Recent family history is a little bit warped, I'll say that for certain." She glances around. "I'm still waiting to find out if my mother was at that camp up in Ojai. I've been looking for her for seven months… technically she owns the ranch, as the oldest one of the original owner's children. He died during the second attack…" she looks around a little. I'm hoping she won't be too upset with me…" Pyotr Zagadka still looks confused. "I still not understand." he says shakily. "I mean… you do not have plastic skin!" Elizabeth Maxwell raises her eyebrows. "Nor do I bleed green, like they do. Very definite distinction there." She stretches out. "Anyway, I figure since you're new, you should probably know why so much stuff is labeled as being owned by Robert Maxwell. He was the original owner at the start, my grandfather on my mother's side. I've just been taking care of the place till mother gets back." She shakes her head. "After what happened a month ago with her little sister, well, she's about the only family I have left claimable. Nice and depressing, yes?" Pyotr Zagadka nods slowly now.. understanding a bit more. "Yes.. depressing." he admits softly. "I am sorry.. for loss and frustration. I know some of it quite well… But probably not as bad as you." he admits as he looks down at some of the stuff on the table, nervously wrapping fingertips against the table's surface. "So.. you are half-breed?" Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little. "Yeah." Pyotr Zagadka wows. "I.. I not know that possible" he says.. and you cna see the scientist in his eyes sparkling as gears turn… then just as quickly the cold mechanical look passes and he is softer once more. "Still.. you are person. And while you are an enigma to scientist in me, I must remember that. You are also person who first trusted me, here. So you can trust me not to pester you about heritage." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little. "It isn't possible naturally for certain. People on the other side involved have seemed to think that I should be loyal to them for being able to exist at all. Glaring example of the difference between knowledge and intelligence." Pyotr Zagadka nods slowly… then regards her curiously.. "Actually.. Why wouldn't it be possible?" he asks. "Improbable, da, but I doubt impossible. You seem to prove the fact. And really, I am quite certain humans and Visitors may share SOME common evolutionary ancestor of sort. Wuz theory I had which I think I may be able to prove." Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little and shakes her head. "doubt it. Completely separate. It only seems like it might be that way because, well, intelligent beings are intelligent beings, no matter where they're from. A military/political system like theirs invariably brings the worst of the worst to the most visible levels. Happened often enough here… It's easy to generalize them because of that. Truth is, generalizing based on the ones in power is like generalizing all of humanity based on, pardon my saying, the old KGB and Soviet political system. Or worse." Pyotr Zagadka holds up his hand. "No no.. hear out…. All life on Earth, from simplest microbes to plants to reptiles and fish and mammals.. even dinosaurs of far past and humans of now.. They share 99 percent of same DNA.. It is the less then one percent that makes us different.. and only superficially really. Humans and mammals and all life forms today evolved from left overs of saurians that survived meteor or whatever wiped out rest of dinosaurs. Now lets go back to beginning of life.. when first simple one cells started splitting into multicell creatures? What if creatures on other world had SAME single cell creatures.. If planet they evolve on enough alike, they evolve same way, or mostly like earth life. if were REALLY alien, they should not have even evolved saurian or reptilian analogs.. They should have been VERY alien. completely unknown or different.. Now say two worlds have same microbes from same source? Say comet or meteor.. Term is called Panspermia. These microbes evolve more or less similar.. except on one world, saurians all but wiped out. On other, they not so they evolve to point where they WOULD have evolved on other world.. ours. And they would share most same DNA. Just slightly different. need minimal push or accident to crossbreed. Like two different breed of flower. Elizabeth Maxwell shrugs a little bit. "No idea." she slips over to the computer and starts turning it on. "Anyway…" The computer beeps and starts flashing characters quickly in Siriian, and starts squawking audibly in the spoken form. Pyotr Zagadka sighs. Well, he knows he bores people with his weird off tangents. Oh well. He walks over and squints at the screen. Without his computer, his grasp of the language is less assured.. and he still doesn't have the full hang of the verbal language. Elizabeth Maxwell responds to it quickly in its own language, being more familiar, and getting it back to visual output. "thing wants to open its yap, and I don't want to hear it." she rolls her eyes. Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhhs. "Why does it want to open yap?" he asks. "it.. it isn't intelligent, is it?" he asks. "I mean.. I never came across any AI ever. oh, we always wondered if possible but never saw proof." Elizabeth Maxwell shakes her head. "No, it isn't intelligent. Just wants to give audio output sometimes instead of visual. Something in the defaults, I think." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhs. "Make sense. Was never able to crack Visitor analog of 'Bios'… Never had equipment to do so. You know.. with computational power of Visitor computers, I am surprised no one has ever programmed one to try and have it design it's own translation matrix for humans. you know. Upload an example of human interface and let computer discover how to interface itself." Elizabeth Maxwell glances over. "It does have a translation program, actually. But it isn't always completely accurate with the translations. That's why I just leave it the way it is." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhhs. "it is lucky you know Siriian language intuitively. Makes it easier for you to work back and forth then me. It require more time and my equipment." Elizabeth Maxwell laughs a little bit. "Knowing it this well comes from being stuck on a mothership long enough to learn it. Someone else thought like you did, about common origins. Tried using me to claim that what they were doing was essentially cannibalism. Got killed for trying, too. I was stuck there for quite a while." She rolls her eyes then. "Certainly made it a lot easier to make all the choices I've made. Too much direct exposure to Diana's bullshit. Nauseating to even think about." she starts typing on the console, squinting at it. "One major project I was about to start on may have just got canceled, in fact." She laughs. "Work that I don't have to do. Yay." Pyotr Zagadka blanches at the story.. and sighs. He nods and leans on the table. "From what little of Diana I saw at club, yes. is nauseating. It like she exude it." he closes his eyes. "So, now that I have seen this.. have been told more of story… What can I do to help?" Elizabeth Maxwell hmms a little bit. "I'm not sure, actually. What looks interesting to work on? Other than the chamber? I'm almost certain I have that wired right…" she laughs. "A lot of the stuff sitting around is medical stuff brought back from that ship. That's the canceled project. Considering who our new doctor is…" she smiles a little. "So its mostly a matter of tinkering with things, at this point." Pyotr Zagadka ahhhs and sighs. "I see." he looks for a chair. "well, I guess I will have to wing it. I had hoped for more stuff already in progress but we cannot all be choosers, da?" he asks. "Sometimes I feel that amerikans forget there are other countries in world with resistance who actually have near same experience, though maybe not infamy, with the visitors and that is why it is hard for non-amerikans to help because amerikans think we are 'rubes'." Elizabeth Maxwell shakes her head. "Actually, I don't think that at all. If I did, I wouldn't have let you in my little den of nightmares. I don't even like looking at the chamber, I'm gonna be putting a cover over it so I don't have to look at it, soon enough…" Pyotr Zagadka nods slowly. "Well, if you don't like it.. I will take crack at it." he says. "Fresh eyes and all that." Elizabeth Maxwell smiles a little. "I'll let you see the instruction manual, anyway." She digs up a locked box, and taps another long code into it, opening it. "Here…" Pyotr Zagadka says, "Is there schematics of chamber in manual as well?" Elizabeth Maxwell nods a little. "Yes… " She shivers a little bit. "Just don't let that leave your sight. I've never let anyone else look at it before…" She sighs. "The whole lab has felt creepy ever since I brought it down." Pyotr Zagadka sighs. "Da, I can understand. it is a terrible device.. Though again I have theories it wasn't always meant to be.. But I will not bore you with them. They are more just extrapolated ideas and whims, probably. And I will not even take this out of lab. and will lock it up." Elizabeth Maxwell glances over at Pyotr and shivers at the thought. "If there were, it was in a far different form than now." LOG ENDS Category:Log Category:RATED-R